


You’re My Best Friend

by Simana



Series: Fairy Friendship Week [3]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst, Erik whump, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2020-11-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:41:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27743152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Simana/pseuds/Simana
Summary: Erik is the glue that holds them together. Written for Fairy Friendship Week Day 3. Prompt: You’re My Best Friend.
Relationships: Angel | Sorano Aguria & Cobra | Erik, Cobra | Erik & Jellal Fernandes, Cobra | Erik & Meredy, Cobra | Erik & Midnight | Macbeth, Cobra | Erik & Racer | Sawyer, Erik & Hoteye/Richard
Series: Fairy Friendship Week [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015600
Comments: 1
Kudos: 16
Collections: Fairy Friendship Week 2020





	You’re My Best Friend

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoy! Please leave a comment if you do, they make me very happy!

Meredy hummed happily as she stirred the cooking pot, mouth watering as the delicious smell rose up. Richard made the best stews. He was currently foraging in a nearby thicket of trees, replenishing his herb collection, and had tasked Meredy with keeping an eye on their dinner. Sorano was digging around in a pack for some bread they’d been given as a thank you from the last village they’d passed through, having chased off a minor dark guild that had been terrorising the residents. The other four members of Crime Sorciere, Jellal, Macbeth, Erik and Sawyer, had paired off to try and hunt them down. 

Meredy dipped a spoon into the stew, blowing on it to cool it down, and slurped up the contents. She wiggled in delight. 

“Mmm, yummy!” she exclaimed. She went back for another spoonful. 

“Hey, save some for the rest of us,” Sorano remarked, walking over with the bread. Meredy rubbed the back of her head, abashed. 

“Sorry,” she said, grinning guiltily. “But Richard’s cooking is so good!”

“He’s always had a knack for it,” Sorano said, settling down beside the girl. “He and his brother lived by themselves on a farm before they were taken, so he’s developed some serious skill.”

The two of them went about finishing preparations, enjoying the sun on their backs. Everything was peaceful, until a faint shout echoed across the grass. 

“Huh?” Sorano said, looking up. The voice came again, clearer now as its owner came into view. 

“Help!” Sawyer was yelling. His usual speed was hampered by his companion, whose arm was slung around Sawyer’s shoulders. Erik was hunched over, head down, stumbling alongside Sawyer as the man dragged him along. His other hand was clenched to his side, blood pooling between his fingers, and his white coat was stained red. 

“Get Richard!” Sorano ordered as she scrambled to her feet and raced over to the pair, putting her shoulder under Erik’s other arm. Meredy blinked, in shock at first, but quickly did as she was told, dropping the spoon and sprinting towards the thicket of trees. 

“Richard! Richard!” she screamed. The huge man came crashing through the undergrowth at her call, the two almost colliding in their haste. 

“What’s wrong, Meredy?” Richard asked, gripping her arms. 

“Erik,” Meredy gasped, struggling to catch her breath after her mad dash. “Erik’s injured. He’s bleeding.”

Richard turned and loped back towards the camp, dropping his herb bag in his haste. Meredy picked it up and followed him. Sawyer and Sorano had lain Erik down on a collection of bedding, and were carefully pulling his coat and shirt aside to expose the wound. It was deep, bleeding profusely, and the tip of an arrow-like object was poking out of it. Richard was kneeling by Erik’s side examining the injury by the time Meredy arrived. 

“What happened?” he was asking, clearly and concisely, in a tone that brooked no arguments. 

“Bastards used sound magic, I couldn’t hear a thing,” Erik growled out. “Then they went for my blind spot.” He groaned as Richard prodded the object, eye clenched tight. Sawyer produced a strap of leather, slotting it between Erik’s teeth. 

“Bite down on that,” he said. “I’m sure Jellal won’t mind a few teeth marks in his belt.”

Richard turned to Meredy. 

“In that bag you’ll find a pouch of willow bark. Boil one spoonful for ten minutes, then strain and pour into a cup. Sawyer, find bandages and that flask of whiskey you have - don’t play dumb, we all saw you buying it, and Sorano, hold down his shoulders.”

Everyone rushed to obey. Meredy switched out the stew for a pot of fresh water, building up the fire and sprinkling in the bark. Sawyer dug around for his designated items, somewhat reluctantly handing over the flask, while Sorano gently placed Erik’s head on her lap, hands resting on his shoulders in preparation. 

“Jellal and Macbeth are back,” Sawyer said, raising a hand and beckoning to them. 

“Good,” said Richard, but he was more focused on his patient. Without looking up, he said, “Meredy, while that’s boiling, come here. I need you to pull this object out, my hands are too big.”

“Wait, really?” Meredy exclaimed, going pale. “I- I can’t, I’ve never... why can’t Sawyer?”

“His hands shake too much,” Richard explained. “Quickly now, we need to remove it as soon as possible.”

“You can do this, Meredy,” Sorano encouraged. “Consider it a life lesson.”

Still hesitating, Meredy looked down at Erik. His half-opened eye was watching her, and he gave a slight nod. Gulping, Meredy knelt down next to him, and carefully wrapped a hand around the shaft. Nodding at everyone, she counted to three, and yanked hard. As soon as the weapon came free, Richard poured a splash of alcohol onto the wound, and pressed a bandage against it. Erik screamed through the gag, and bucked in reflex, but Sorano and Sawyer’s grip on his shoulders and legs was unyielding. 

“What happened?” Jellal demanded, as he and Macbeth arrived at the scene. Macbeth’s eyes went dark when he saw Erik’s face, contorted in pain. 

“Well, we found the dark guild,” Sawyer said flatly. “Turns out they’re tougher than they look.”

Jellal noticed Meredy’s bloodied hands. “Are you hurt as well?” he asked. 

Meredy’s hands were shaking as she examined the weapon. “No, I’m fine,” she said quietly. She held it up to the light. “He was hit with this.”

Jellal wrapped a cloth around it and took it from her. “It’s a musical note,” he said, bemused. “Like some form of Solid Script magic.”

“Solid... Sound?” said Sorano. “Haven’t heard of that before.” She looked down at Erik, stroking his hair. “How you doing, snake boy?”

Erik spat out the gag, breathing heavily. “I’ve been better,” he mumbled, wincing as Richard wrapped bandages around his abdomen. 

“Drink some of this,” said Meredy, who’d poured out a cup of Richard’s concoction. She carefully tipped some into his mouth, lips twitching when Erik grimaced. 

“That’s disgusting,” he complained. “I’d rather have whatever’s Sawyer’s got.”

The speed wizard in question was surreptitiously taking swigs from his reclaimed flask, and watched the others suspiciously as he tried to hide it behind his back. 

“If you want pain relief there’s nothing better than willow bark tea,” Richard declared. “So, down the hatch.” Erik scowled, but complied as Meredy offered him more. Richard turned to Jellal. “He’ll be alright, but he shouldn’t do any travelling for at least a week.”

Jellal nodded. “We should find somewhere more secure to stay,” he said. “If that dark guild is still on the loose, and strong enough to do this, we’re not safe out-“.

“Where did you find them?” Macbeth interrupted suddenly, his tone severe enough to catch everyone’s attention. Sawyer grinned, catching on. 

“I’ll show you the way,” he said, getting up, body suit stripes flaring. 

“No, wait!” Jellal called out, but it was no use. Sawyer was gone, and the air around Macbeth distorted as he too vanished. “Macbeth! Sawyer!”

“Don’t worry, they won’t kill anyone,” Sorano reassured him. “Anyway, weren’t you just saying we need to get Erik somewhere safer?”

Jellal looked at her, teeth gritted. He wasn’t sure he believed that, but there would be no catching his errant guildmates now. Plus she was right, Erik should be his top priority. 

“Yes, let’s go back to the village,” he decided. “There was an inn there, although I’m afraid we only have enough money for one room.”

And so they retraced their steps, hooking a cloak onto Meredy’s Maguilty swords to create a makeshift hammock to carry Erik. He’d drifted off into a restless sleep, though he didn’t fail to grumble whenever Meredy moved too quickly or tripped. The innkeeper was rather hesitant when she saw the motley group on her doorstep, but was placated when Jellal pressed a pouch of coins into her hand. Erik of course claimed the bed, and while Richard occupied his time fussing over the patient, the others had nothing more to do than await the return of their comrades, having left a note for them at their former campsite.

Hours ticked by before there was a knock on the door. Jellal sprang up, yanking it open to find Macbeth and Sawyer, neither of them looking remotely sorry. Jellal pulled them inside. 

“Well?” he demanded. “What have you done?”

“At ease, bossman,” Sawyer replied. “We roughed em up a little is all. Then dragged their asses to the next town and dumped them outside a rune knight station.”

Jellal looked at Macbeth. “That’s all?”

Macbeth raised an eyebrow. “Really Jellal, ye of little faith. We did adopt your doctrine, after all.”

Jellal sighed. “Alright,” he said. “I believe you.”

“How’s Erik?” Sawyer asked, crossing over to the bed without waiting for an answer. The dragon slayer peered at him in annoyance. 

“Trying to sleep,” he said grumpily, hand resting gingerly on his bandaged torso. “Did you avenge me?”

“Of course,” Macbeth answered. “You would have loved their screams.” Upon noticing Jellal’s frown, he added, “but then we handed them in to the proper authorities like good little wizards.”

Erik hmphed, and closed his eye. “Great. Now, if you don’t mind.”

“He really does need rest,” Richard interjected. “As do we all. It’s been a trying day, oh yeah.”

“At least we’ve got a roof over our heads this time,” Sorano said, yawning and wrapping her blankets around her. 

“Yes,” Jellal agreed. “Everyone go to sleep, I’ll take watch tonight.”

As the others settled down for the night, Jellal took up his place in the chair next to the bed, glancing at Erik. It was strange seeing the dragon slayer so vulnerable; Erik usually took it upon himself to get their fellow guildmates out of sticky situations, wordlessly and uncomplaining. Jellal was surprised to realise how much he’d come to depend on Erik, and vowed to ensure his efforts wouldn’t go so overlooked in future. 

“Shut up,” came a grouchy response. 

Jellal smiled, and turned his thoughts to other topics. Oh yes, they’d all be lost without Erik. 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed! Please leave a review if you did, they make me very happy!


End file.
